KRDO medical expert discusses alarming rise in alcohol-related liver disease
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- UC Health is reporting that alcohol related liver disease is on the rise, now accounting for nearly half of all liver transplants in their hospital system, and women seem to be disproportionately affected by this trend.
KRDO's medical expert, Dr. Neha Sharma, joined us in the studio to take a closer look at alcohol-related liver disease.
Below are the questions we asked Dr. Sharma and her answers:
UC Health is seeing this alarming trend, but is this exclusive to Colorado? Or are we seeing a similar trend across the U.S.?
"We are seeing similar trends across the U.S., so it is a nationwide trend, and hospitals across the nation are seeing alcohol-related liver disease as the leading reason for liver transplant, replacing Hepatitis C. Colorado is not an outlier. What UC Health is seeing actually reflects what transplant centers are reporting nationwide, especially since the pandemic."
UC Health also mentioned that they have seen a significant increase in women needing liver transplants due to alcohol related issues. Could you tell us why?
"It's actually biology, so women have less body water and more body fat, which means that alcohol gets more concentrated in the bloodstream... we also have less alcohol degrading enzymes, which means alcohol stays active in the body longer, causing more damage, so women can get more severe liver disease with lower amounts of alcohol in shorter amount of time when compared to men."
Could you tell us a bit about some of the signs and health risks that come from liver illnesses caused by alcohol?
"So in early disease, there's actually no symptoms at all, but as the damage progresses, people usually experience nausea, fatigue, abdominal pain, bloating, that swelling in the belly and legs, and mental confusion, and also yellowing of the skin and the eyes. And usually symptoms happen when there's already significant damage to the liver."
If you are concerned about your liver's health from drinking too much, can your liver heal itself if you stop? Or do you need to see a doctor?
"In early stages, depending on the stages...the liver can actually heal and actually improve significantly if alcohol is stopped. But if cirrhosis, which is permanent scarring of the liver, develops, then it gets hard. The damage is not reversible, but having said that, if you stop alcohol at any time, it's gonna improve your overall health, reduce complications, and also slow progression."
If you have questions for Dr. Sharma, email them to healthycolorado@KRDO.com.
You can watch the full discussion with Dr. Sharma above.
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